Direction indicator



March 23, 1937. HEINEMANN DIRECTION INDICATOR Filed Oct. 18, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Inventor: Fae/bf le /barman.

)Yffomgy March 1937' R. HEINEMANN DIRECTION INDICATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 18, 1933 RUDOLF HE/NEMANN R mm H Patented Mar. 193 7 7 UNITED STAT ENT OFF-ICE.

nmiiorroN mmca'ron ltudolf Heinemann, Berlin, Germany Application October 18, 1933, Serial No.

In Germany October 22, 1932 1 Claim. (oi. 177-329) This invention relates to direction indicators and more particularly to, that'type of indicator adapted to be mounted in or on a vehicle for indicating, when actuated, the direction "or other movement the vehicleis about to take;

Direction indicators are known in which the indicator arm is. prevented from swinging from its non-operative position, and in, which the arm and its operating mechanism forms a com-[- plete unit, which may be built into a special housing, or direct into the coach work of the -mptor vehicle. But the known devices or the kind .had the disadvantages mentioned here under: The fitting oflthe direction indicator into its housing is generally too complicated,

and the friction created by the locking device to prevent the arm from swinging out, is too great when the indicator arm is operated or when it falls back again into its non-operative position.

The direction indicator hereinafter described obviates these disadvantages. In the accompanying drawings, wherein is I illustrated one embodiment of the invention and.

Referring now t5. these drawings in detail, 11

represents the housing of the indicator and 2' is a carrier or support mounted therein for the pivotallly mounted signal arm 8 and its actuat ing coil zl which latter is supported on a projection 3 secured to the-casing i.- These parts, together with the indicating arm or semaphore 3, are normally concealed within the housing .45 tween which the indicator arm 8 swingsaie The side walls l of the carrier 2 (Fig. '7) bebent upwardly until they rest against the sides of the housing; as shown more clearlyin Fig. 2."

These side walls @gshbport a shaft 3'! on which the arm 8 is adaptdto turn. A lug It acts as v a stop to limit the upward movement of the signal arm 8. The opening 13 is provided for .-the core of the solenoid while the holes. I2 are for attaching rivets lFigs. 4 and 5).

Figs. 1, 2,- and d-show in three different views v g and 25 on the side walls 5 of the carrier.

positiomth e edge 30 touches the roller 22 much earlier, because the spring presses the edge 20. of the, locking part it Fig. 7 is'a detail perspective view of one of the ..the operating mechanism and the connections "01 the direction indicator. 8.carrying a locking cam is mounted on a pivot pin; 11. A coiled spring l9, having a loop at The indicator arm one end, embraces the pivot'il for the locking part it and presses the edge 20" against a stop pin 26. In this position .the locking cam it rests against a roller 22 on a pin 24 carried by aspring' leaf 23. Thi-s spring leaf 23 presses the roller 22 and pin 24 against shouldersze When theindicator arm his operated the coil 21 is switched to draw the core 28 inwardly. This pulls the cam i5 downwards by means of a link 29, a cam surface 3 0 being thus turned clear of the roller 22 and the under edge 3! of the'cam abuts the pin it on the indicator arm, causing it to be lifted intoflsubstantially horizontal position.

. In. order that the pressures 10f the spring 23 acting on the end 01 the camtll (Fig. 5) shall not ,be excessive to allow of the above movement, pin 24 is long enough to abut against the sides Q of the bracket 2 asadead stop (Fig.

6)..- In other'words, the roller 22- revolves and rolls over the, cam surface 38. until the cam 96 rotates away from the roller 22 and abuts with its edge 3! the stop pin 2i. When the indicator arm-d falls back again into its non-operative it now quickly.

against the stop pin 2!. and the cam against the roller 22 until it reaches the position of rest.

The projection 33 at'the bottom of the housing-i'i's in the form of a fork stamped out of the bottom wall 32 of the housing andis pressed against a metal armoured 'sleeve 36, after the latter is introduced into the housing, and thus serves in a simple manner to hold the electric wiringiin position. (Figs. 1 and 2).

Translucent Windows 36 (Fig. 3) are held in the sides of the indicator arm 8 by flanges while the rivet serves to hold one window in position whn the light bulb is to be changed.

The fitting and the securing of the indicator arm unit 8 into its housing is simplified by designing one or more of the parts, which do not have to move, insuch a way that they fit into the inner shape of the housing accurately, so that for securing the whole unit in position in the housing attaching means passing through openings l2 (Fig. 7) is all that'is required. Furthermore, the locking device above described for the arm 8 is so designed that one of the-locking memthe other locking member glides until the signal am reaches its stationary position.

By these means the friction when the magnet 21 operates,

and also when the indicator arm returns into its non-operative position, is reduced. on the other hand, the arm 8 is also prevented from normally hanging out ofthe housing. Furthermore, the projection 33 with its serrated ed es pressed out of the bottom of the housing holds the cable armour, which enters intothe housing throw the bottom in position.

It will thus be seen that the present invention comprehends a simple and practical device well adapted to accomplish among others all of the objects and advantages hereinset forth.

I claim as my invention:

In a direction indicator for vehicles, a solenoid, bracket supporting means at the lower end of the solenoid, a bracket at the upperend of the solenoid, means for attaching said bracket to the solenoid, said bracket having bearing walls ex-\ tending away from the end of the solenoid, a signal Farm pivoted in said walls and normally lylng substantiallyparallel to said solenoid and extending beyond its pivot, a lever pivoted'to said arln near its end and normally extending sub stantially at right angles to the axis of the solenoid andhaving a rounded free end, means between said arm and said lever permitting limited movement of the latter with respect to the former, a solenoid core, means connecting said core with said lever near its end, a roller, spring means for mounting said roller on said upper bracket so as to press the'roller toward the end of the aim, the roller and rounded end of said lever being so located that in the normal position of the signal the roller willtend' to press the lever end upwardly and provide an abutment preventingmovement of the signal arm toward signaling position.

RUDOLF HEINEMANN. 

